Dear Edward, by Ann Napolitano
Penguin Random House - 2020
Fiction - Literary (inspired by a real event)
Print
352 Pages
Fiction - Literary (inspired by a real event)
352 Pages
* I received this ARC courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada, in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.
I am using this title to fulfill item #2 - The frontlist - read a title less than 6 months old, on my 20 For 2020 Reading Challenge. You can see the challenge in its entirety HERE. It isn't too late to join the fun!
Dear Andrew is a coming of age story, and more. It is at once hopeful and heartbreaking. It is a profoundly moving story about finding one's way in life after having it torn from its foundation, about re-building when all seems lost, of processing our grief in our own time, and paying homage to lost loved ones while still living our own lives.
The story follows a cast of characters, but focuses primarily on Edward "Eddie" Adler. As Edward boards a plane one fateful morning, he is aware that his life is going to change forever - after all, his family is moving from New York to Los Angeles. What no one on the plane can know, is that the plane will never reach its destination. In a horrific turn of events, the plane crashes, and Edward - found still strapped to his seat, is the only survivor.
His story captures the attention of the nation. Devastated and stunned by grief, Edward struggles to find his footing in his new world without his brother and parents. He has formed a bond with the young girl who lives next door to him in his new home with his Aunt and Uncle, but it isn't until an unexpected discovery that he is able to find peace, to find a way to honor the past while finding meaning in the present, and purpose and hope for his future.
Napolitano's writing in Dear Edward shows an incredible amount of compassion. Her ability to show The juxtaposition of the subjective and individual nature of grief versus the shared experience is incredibly well illustrated. The characters in this novel are multi-faceted and even the minor characters in this story were well developed. The story is told in alternating time lines between the day of the crash, and the present. While this is a common method for writers, in this book works on multiple levels and is the perfect vehicle for this story.
While primarily a work of fiction, this story was inspired by the real world events of May 12, 2010 in which a plane travelling from South Africa crashed before reaching its destination in Tripoli, killing all on board except a nine-year-old Dutch boy.
Dear Andrew is a book that is a powerful and moving book that will take the reader through a range of emotions and reminds us that our connections may be deep or fleeting, but always contribute to who we have become or will become over time.
NOTE: Library Journal has published a conversation with Ann Napolitano regarding the writing of this book which can be read HERE.
The story follows a cast of characters, but focuses primarily on Edward "Eddie" Adler. As Edward boards a plane one fateful morning, he is aware that his life is going to change forever - after all, his family is moving from New York to Los Angeles. What no one on the plane can know, is that the plane will never reach its destination. In a horrific turn of events, the plane crashes, and Edward - found still strapped to his seat, is the only survivor.
His story captures the attention of the nation. Devastated and stunned by grief, Edward struggles to find his footing in his new world without his brother and parents. He has formed a bond with the young girl who lives next door to him in his new home with his Aunt and Uncle, but it isn't until an unexpected discovery that he is able to find peace, to find a way to honor the past while finding meaning in the present, and purpose and hope for his future.
Napolitano's writing in Dear Edward shows an incredible amount of compassion. Her ability to show The juxtaposition of the subjective and individual nature of grief versus the shared experience is incredibly well illustrated. The characters in this novel are multi-faceted and even the minor characters in this story were well developed. The story is told in alternating time lines between the day of the crash, and the present. While this is a common method for writers, in this book works on multiple levels and is the perfect vehicle for this story.
While primarily a work of fiction, this story was inspired by the real world events of May 12, 2010 in which a plane travelling from South Africa crashed before reaching its destination in Tripoli, killing all on board except a nine-year-old Dutch boy.
Dear Andrew is a book that is a powerful and moving book that will take the reader through a range of emotions and reminds us that our connections may be deep or fleeting, but always contribute to who we have become or will become over time.
NOTE: Library Journal has published a conversation with Ann Napolitano regarding the writing of this book which can be read HERE.
Happy Reading,
Christine
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